TABLE OF CONTENTS
Who We Are
Welcome to NYC
Places to Dine | In Town
Resources

WHO WE ARE
Venture Forth was born out of the idea
to combine two of life’s best things:
traveling and food.

It is our strong belief that good delicious food is out
there, in each and every city, being cooked fresh
everyday and made with the best ingredients. By “good
delicious food” we mean food that gives you what
you need, real food, food that not only tastes good
but also is also seasonal, grown ethically, clean, local
and natural. We believe that a plant-based diet can be
bold, exotic and full of flavors from around the world,
because there is more out there than a good salad.
So, if you are feeling adventurous and want to go on
a full-out vegan-eating journey — read on.
In this guide we will tell you where the best places to
grab a chocolate lava cupcake, Vietnamese spring
rolls and green lentil burgers are, all vegan by the way.
We know being vegan while traveling can seem like a
challenge — but it doesn’t have to be!
Venture Forth makes it easier to travel vegan by providing you with each cities own listing of vegan, vegetarian
and vegetarian-friendly restaurants at your fingertips.
With Venture Forth vegans and vegetarians are no
longer the odd-ones out, you don’t have to go hungry
and live off of salads while abroad. Catering to the
needs of vegans and vegetarians is our specialty and
commitment. Each guide is designed to introduce you to
some of the tastiest veggie food out there.
For more information about Venture Forth’s mission, or
if you have any questions regarding our travel guides,
please do not hesitate to contact us at:
VentureForth.com
info@ventureforth.com
1-800-VENTURE

WELCOME TO NYC
While NYC may be known for its cheesecake, delis and steak
houses, it also caters to more than just meat-eaters. There
are plenty of restaurants, cafes and food stands that offer
vegan-friendly foods, usually just as flavorful and
appetizing as the meat versions.
When you walk down the streets and into different neighborhoods, take the time to read the window menus because
they often offer vegetarian friendly meals. While being vegan
is another challenge, since avoid steak houses and seafood
bars isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite as hard as avoiding bakeries, pizzerias and ice
cream shops, NYC is a good place to explore your options.
In this guide we have tried to highlight some of the best
vegan/vegetarian finds, so that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to work as
hard to find some good eats while staying in the Big Apple.

Vegans can dig their teeth
into some decadent cupcakes
at this bakery, which is all
organic and doesn’t use any
dairy, eggs, soy or gluten.
BabyCakes also avoids using
any nuts in their baking, except
for coconuts (which is considered a tree nut). The red velvet
organic cupcake or the frosted
pumpkin loaf with vanilla
frosting could tempt anyone.

PeaceFood Café is another
great find for vegans in NYC
Two vegans founded the café
on the idea that peace begins
on your place and that good
food can spread non-violence.
Their menu includes things
like a raw pizza made of
buckwheat, sweet potato and
flaxseed crust, topped with red
bell peppers, olives, onions,
basil and a choice of sauces.
Along with pizza, they also
offer salads, sandwiches,
panini, soups, vegetables and
desserts. All desserts are baked
in their kitchen without using
dairy, eggs or refined sugar.

Sacred Chow serves serious
vegan food without being
to serious about it. They use
organic and kosher-certified
ingredients, making everything
taste fresh and lively. Their
menu offers a variety of salads,
panini and tapas. Their smoky
home fries are a house favorite;
try them with hot sauce if you
are feeling daring.

Quintessence is an oasis in
Manhattan, serving exotic food
with rare ingredients. Everything served at Quintessence
is 100% vegan, organic and
raw. Their mission is satisfying
your appetite with food that is
full of flavor and good for your
health. They also have a variety
of vegan desserts, including
things like chocolate lava cake
and homemade ice cream.

Coming from a kitchen that
has no stove, the food at Pure
Food & Wine is something
short of a miracle. Everything at
this chic restaurant is raw and
vegan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the Pumpkin
Apple Crepe with Crimini
Mushrooms and Caramelized
Carrot Puree to the Hen of the
Woods Tacos al Pastor, made of
smoked guacamole, hearts of
palm, fresh corn, guajilo crema
fresca and pickled onions.
Really, anything here is worth a
try, so be adventurous and give
something new a taste.

Blossom offers all egg-less
pasta and mock meats that
actually taste pretty good. For
vegans, Blossom is a gem
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; try the pan seared seitan
cutlets, pistachio and pepper
dusted tofu or the hickory BBQ
tempeh. They get their ingredients from organic local farms
and small distribution companies, to ensure customers are
getting the freshest healthiest
food available.

Candle Café is an organic
veggie café that has made it
their mission to bring healthy
food to the Upper East side of
Manhattan. This café serves
vegan dishes and offers an
additional gluten-free menu
as well. One favorite is the
kale salad with artichoke
hearts, radicchio, fennel,
carrots and apples, tossed with
maple-mustard vinaigrette
and topped with capers. They
also have fantastic appetizers,
sandwiches and cocktails.

Known as a premiere
“vegan oasis” Candle 79
has delighted vegans and
meat-eaters alike. It is the
sister restaurant of Candle
Café. They are dedicated to
excellent vegetarian cuisine,
comprised of a seasonal array
of organic ingredients. With a
huge menu including squash
and wild mushroom spinach
ravioli, stuffed avocado and
porcini crusted tofu, there is no
way you will not find something
here you like.

This awesome little vegetarian
café serves all sorts of casual
veggie fare, like sandwiches
and salads. Try things like the
soy sausage sandwich made
with broccoli, rabe and roasted
red pepper or the roasted vegetable panini with arugula and
goat cheese. They also have a
good selection of vegan desserts,
like muffins and cupcakes with
flavored frosting.

Named literally after vegetables,
this restaurant is know for its
creativity and innovations.
Although it might take some
advanced planning to get in,
Dirt Candy is worth the wait
for any vegan or vegetarian
who is looking for some food
with flair. Feel free to request
vegan or vegetarian versions
of anything on the menu,
helpful if you are dining
with meat-eaters. Each dish
is designed around specific
vegetables, like Beans which
consists of coconut poached
tofu, sea beans, saffron sauce,
long beans and Moroccan
herbs and sizzling rice.

Angelica Kitchen is one of the
oldest vegetarian restaurants in
NYC and many still consider it
the best. Since 1976, Angelica
Kitchen has been an East
Village hub for those in search
of fresh vegetarian food. Their
menu features daily seasonal
specials as well as their classic
dishes like dashi and noodles,
or the Si Se Puede salad with
marinated beets and chickpeas.
They also offer some great
combo deals with a variety of
choices for vegans.

Usually Chinatown consists of
a lot of pork buns and friend
dumplings, but at Veggie Dum
Sum you can find the same
dishes with a faux-meat twist.
Vegetarian options like the
mock shrimp dumplings or the
spinach dumplings, satisfy that
dim sum need.

Vegetarians and vegans
looking for that distinctive
Korean flavor without the
sizzling tabletop meats can
enjoy this K-town hideaway.
Vegetarians can load up on
flavorful dumplings, noodles
and bibimbap. They also
prepare spicy kimchi mushroom
pancakes and gluten free
organic kale dumplings with
tofu. Hangwai also provides
an entirely gluten-free menu.
Be prepared to remove your
shoes upon entering, as it is a
tradition Korean eatery.

Most certainly NYC’s only
kaiseki restaurant to offer ancient
Zen Buddhist vegetarian cuisine
known as shojin, Kajitsu flavors
are clean and subdued. The
flavors may seem understated,
but as the meal progresses
more flavors emerge, creating
a simple but seasoned meal.
They offer set menus during
lunch, like the Ichiju Sansai,
$40, made of three seasonal
dishes served with white rice,
soup and house made pickles.
For dinner there are four and
eight course meals, which
offer an assortment of tastings,
with things like house-made
soba noodles and matcha.

Taim is a small falafel bar
owned by a husband and wife
from Tel Aviv who missed their
street food from home. They
food they serve is both tasty
and filling — and they offer
vegan options, marking them
clearly on the menu. There
are plenty of options such as
the Sabich sandwich, made of
sliced eggplant, fried to order
with organic egg, parsley,
hummus, Israeli salad, pickled
cabbage, amba (mango
chutney) and tahini sauce.
Their smoothie bar also has
great combinations like date,
lime and banana or strawberry,
raspberry and Thai basil.

This Indian restaurant is the
perfect place to quench the
urge for Indian food, for both
vegetarians and meat-eaters.
Start with a samosa chaat
and then sample some of
the curries and chutneys
with options for vegans and
vegetarians. They offer a fresh
lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m.
– 3 p.m. on weekdays, with
Indian usuals like creamy saag
paneer and gobi masala.

RESOURCES

RESOURCES
Venture Forth tries to offer as many opportunities to eat
fresh local ingredients as possible. While new stores
are popping up yearly, in this section you will find a
list of current farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets, health food stores and
vegan meetups.

RESOURCES

FARMERS MARKETS
Looking for fresh fruits and vegetables? New York City has
many farmers markets, large and small, offering a selection
of fresh produce and numerous other products. Most farmers’
markets are open seasonally, although some of the larger
ones are open year round. We try to provide the most accurate
address we can find, along with additional contact information.
Here is a list of some of the farmers’ markets in New York City.
Union Square Greenmarket
E 17th Street, New York, NY 10003
212-788-7476
Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
97th Street Greenmarket
97th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam
Open year round on Fridays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
82nd Street, St. Stephen’s Greenmarket
82nd Street between 1st and York Avenues
Open year round on Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
79th Street Greenmarket
Columbus Avenue between 78th and 81st Streets
Open year round on Sundays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Abingdon Square Greenmarket
Hudson Street and West 12th Street
Open year round on Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bowling Greenmarket
Broadway at Battery Place
Open year round on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Columbia Greenmarket
Broadway between 114th and 116th Streets
Open year round on Thursdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket
47th Street at 2nd Avenue
Open year round on Wednesdays, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Path Greenmarket
W Broadway between Barclay Street and Park Place
Open year round on Tuesdays, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

GROCERY STORES
Most grocery stores in the NYC area have vegetarian or at
least “natural foods” sections that are vegan-friendly. The
following list is only of local grocery stores that strongly cater
to the vegan demand.
Healthyfully Organic Market
98 E 4th Street, New York, NY 10003
212-598-0777
Stocked with all the essentials and a nice juice bar, Healthfully is
a market where a lot of locals shop – even over Whole Foods.
Veggie Monster
39-86 61st Street, Woodside, NY 11377
718-478-8880
www.aboutme/veggiemonster
Along with being a whole food market, Veggie Monster also
caters to those who eat all organic.
Gary Null’s Uptown Whole Foods
2421 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
212-874-4000
This is the real deal when it comes to fresh organic juices
— do not miss the juice bar.
Whole Foods Market
95 E Houston Street, New York, NY 10002
212-420-1320
270 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007
212-349-6555
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
212-823-9600
Whole Foods is a grocery store chain specializing in natural
and organic foods. Some locations offer a café.
Heath & Harmony
470 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
212-691-3036
This is a small independent grocery, but the staff are
knowledgeable and the products are organic and natural.
Sai Organics
3021 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102
718-278-1726
A fantastic organic market, with a good selection of
gluten-free foods.

RESOURCES

MEETUPS
Looking to make some new friends that share the same
love of food as you?
Maybe you should check out a meetup!
The New York City Vegetarian and Vegan Meetup
www.meetup.com/vegetarian-nyc
If you are looking to try new vegetarian and vegan restaurants,
if you enjoy the company of fellow vegetarians and vegans,
you should check out this meetup group. Join them as they
explore NYCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegan cuisines.
NYC Vegan EatUP
www.meetup.com/nyceatup
NYC Vegan EatUP promotes connecting vegan communities
around the NYC metro area and beyond. They have been
a group for over 10 years, with more than 500 events and
nearly 2,000 members.
NYC Vegans
www.meetup.com/nycvegans
NYC Vegans is another channel for vegans to get support
from other vegans, they want to help guide you through your
dietary journey by going to screenings, dinner outings, business
networking events, potlucks and multi-course meals.